But all of that would be overshadowed by the elephant in the room, which was the very mixed signals the AMA gave everyone at last week's Arlington SX, where Jo Shimoda lost the 250 main event lead because he slowed down for a red light, and then Tomac and Ken Roczen (and to a lesser extent, Cooper Webb) jumped on a red cross flag displayed by the head AMA flagger, this after the leader, Hunter Lawrence, saw it, slowed down, and rolled the jumps.

Needless to say, it's been a weird week of questions, confusion, and not enough answers from the AMA to questions like: When did the warning "lead-in" light become an optional light? Why was it on for so long when there was obviously no problem ahead? When did the rule change from absolutely obeying red cross flags to only obeying a combination of flags and lights? Or did it not change at all?

One longtime moto friend summed it all up in a simple text:

"Please correct me if I am wrong. Rules of engagement, as per the AMA: Warning light present, but no visible flag? Send it! No warning light, but visible cross flag? Send it!"

And I really don't know how to answer that because some of these changes were not enshrined in the AMA rulebook, but rather apparently relayed to the riders before the season and before press day riding and race-day riders meetings. AMA Race Direction tried to clear things up with this statement/competition bulletin.

I get how complicated officiating can get, especially when it comes to safety precautions and flagging—all the proactive hard work in the world doesn't mean much when someone doesn't see a flag, a light, a downed rider, or motorcycle.

Hunter himself addressed the whole deal on the PulpMX Show this week: 

“I don’t want this to come across like I have a personal vendetta because I lost points. What if a medical crew member was down there on the jump, on the down ramp? Then this would be a completely different story. Thankfully there wasn’t anyone down on that side.”

Bottom line: The AMA needs to keep safety as their top priority—we all do. On the event management, they promised to do better, immediately adding the warning light to the rulebook and changing its color from red (which universally means stop) to yellow (warning). However, the double whammy in Arlington was a significant setback for both the AMA and the sport. The growth of the SMX demands better officiating and flagging, reliable timing and scoring, and overall consistency and transparency. We cannot be considered a major league sport if we continue having minor league problems.

Okay, off my soapbox. And just in time, there's a press conference starting behind me.

Hunter's Flowers (Jason Weigandt)

AMA red cross and red flag headlines meant Hunter Lawrence and Pierce Brown didn't get all of the attention from the Arlington Supercross. People are like moths to a flame when it comes to drama and controversial calls, so that's how it goes. Maybe it's fitting that something overshadowed the first wins for Hunter and Pierce because that's the way they've been their whole careers. Hunter, especially in supercross, has been a slow build, and everyone knows that build was also overshadowed by his brother's quick rise. Yesterday, though, I went back and researched Hunter's full supercross development. We should have appreciated it more.

The old GEICO Honda team actually hired me to write post-race press releases for them, and I wrote way too many about Hunter Lawrence getting hurt and missing time. He should have started racing supercross in 2019, but he missed that whole indoor campaign with injury. Then lingering issues and injuries at the end of that year basically kept him out of supercross again in 2020. It's only because of the COVID delay that year that he healed up enough to make some races.

"So good to be back at the races," said Lawrence back then. "At one point, I went six months with no riding due to back-to-back injuries. Being able to race these events is awesome, and it was fun to dip my toes into supercross for the first time. We had a few problems with the crashes, though. I think I was up to fifth in my heat race when I went down, and then in the main, I hit neutral when I was trying to avoid two guys stopped at the end of the whoops. I had to come from last. I can't wait to get more time under my belt and tidy a few things up so I can run up front!"

Hunter improved rapidly, netting seventh in his second-ever supercross a few days later.

"It was better, but the result didn't even reflect the progress we made," said Hunter. "The team and I changed some things on the bike, which really helped out, and a better heat race put us in a better position for the main, so that was a big factor. I felt good in the main; two mistakes cost me positions. I'm having fun out here in Utah and really looking forward to going downhill mountain biking this week to freshen up for one more race on Sunday!"

Unfortunately, Hunter suffered a crash and missed a main later during that Salt Lake tenure, and that probably overshadowed grabbing that seventh in his second SX start. By the very next season, 2021, he had already figured things out, finishing second in 250SX West points. He was second again in 2022 and then won the East title in 2023. This rise in supercross is actually quite normal and typical, as he had proven himself time and time again in the 250 class. I think people missed it, though, because too often the story with Hunter is that he's just not Jett.No other rider has to generate hype in that shadow.

Then there's Brown, who really didn't generate many headlines throughout his pro career, which started with some Pro Motocross rounds in 2019. It turns out for Brown, it was simply starts that held him back, as he was always fast and fit, but rarely did anyone see it. He finally, finally got starts at the SMX finale in Las Vegas in 2024, and boom, he won. Then he holeshot last year's 250SX East opener but crashed while leading, basically ending his whole season, before returning for this big bounce back. Brown, like Lawrence, might have more elite-level talent than we've realized over the last few years. Don't be surprised if this Arlington victory is just the start of many.

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

Daytona is a unique beast. Riders will practice on different types of tracks, tinker with their bike settings more, and adjust. Daytona always comes at a pivotal time in the championship, too. It signals a marked shift to the East: softer tracks, more traction, ruts, and constantly deteriorating surfaces. There are several reasons that Daytona matters more than a random round, but arguably the most important is that it begins the "second half" of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. Sure, it may not be exactly the midpoint, but the concept remains true. Everyone knows that leaving Daytona, it's a sprint race to SLC.

For some, it's a chance to turn the tide on a difficult first half. Take Aaron Plessinger in 2025, for example. He struggled to find consistency or really much of anything. He snagged a podium at Daytona and flipped the script on what could have been a dismal year. This 2026 campaign could use the same sort of momentum shift for the #7. A different type of track, possibly some weather... stranger things have happened.

Another interesting dynamic in play is that several riders think this is "theirs." Eli Tomac is the all-time winningest Daytona racer, so that tracks, but others have made comments about it, too. Hunter Lawrence grabbed his first win last weekend and has mentioned how antsy he is to arrive at DIS. Cooper Webb has been the bridesmaid so many times he might as well be Kristen Wiig at this point. One has to assume the desire to finally win here is burning deep inside. Speaking of finally winning, Ken Roczen got the job done last year, finally sealing it. They all want it. They all think it's theirs for the taking, too. That's what makes this competition so compelling. There can only be one contender for the crown, and the rest are pretenders.

PB (Matthes)

Super cool story to see Pierce Brown win the opener, he told a story on the PulpMX Show about how team owner Bobby Regan sort of ripped into him after the heat race. This is after his first SX race in over a year and after qualifying quickest! Pretty funny story really and also classic move from Regan to try and motivate his guy. 

Watch for yourself below.

DAYTONA (Matthes)

The Daytona SX is pretty early this year compared to other years. Eli Tomac is the prohibitive favorite with his speed here combined with how well he's riding this year. As we were saying on the Moto:60 Show yesterday, if Hunter Lawrence can somehow get some points on Tomac here, well that will be huge for him and his confidence going forward. Lawrence has the best average first lap position and best position at the white stripe in the 450 class this year and it's not even close. He's consistently put himself in a great spot to finish on the podium or win the race. ET's got some issues with starts and crashes this year, Roczen's got that Seattle "thing," Webb's got that slow start… so when it comes to helping himself in this title fight, it's Lawrence's ability off the gate that seems to give him an edge here. Daytona, although better recently, is a tough track to pass on, so keep that in mind.

With all that said, to me it's ET's race to lose. He loves this place and it's shown over the years that he can unleash his beast mode here of all places. 

Dark Green Days (Keefer)

I really feel for Chase Sexton and the whole Monster Energy Kawasaki team. With the news of Sexton getting hurt in a practice crash, it really drives a knife into the hearts of all the people over there who have been working tirelessly to get the #4 comfortable. I guess I am going to put on my team test rider hat here and explain a couple of things...

I have seen/heard a lot of people blame Broc Tickle for not getting the bike good enough for Chase. I have also heard that Kyle Chisholm is stepping in over in Florida because Chase wanted a new test rider. That is also false. For those people who don't know how it works, a test rider is NOT responsible for FINAL settings for said rider on the team.

A "race team" test rider goes through parts and settings that the team either has to try or might be wondering about. That is Broc's job. Kawasaki isn't handing Tickle the #4 machine and telling him to get it ready to race for Chase each week. It is up to the team and Broc to get the bike in a spot where, when it's handed to Chase, it is close enough for him to pick a direction that he feels best about. Ultimately, it is up to Sexton to choose what he wants out of what Kawasaki has to offer him. The team and Chase will download all of the info after a race on Saturday night, and usually, the team will discuss it all, pick a direction, and have Tickle on the bike Monday to start trying things (along with Chase, normally on Tuesday) in order to get a setting that Chase prefers. Basically, a "race team" test rider is a person who helps shorten the testing time on the bike for the factory rider so he doesn't get worn out for Saturday night's race. It can be perceived that the test rider isn't doing his job, but ultimately, it is up to the rider to tell the team which direction he wants to go. Then the test rider weeds through options so that the factory rider can come in and see if they are improving or going backward. Sometimes there will be two bikes: one baseline bike and one "test bike." That way, both the factory rider and test rider can go back and forth in order to NOT get lost.

We can sit here and Monday morning quarterback this thing to death, but ultimately the burden is on the rider himself. This is why they get paid a lot of money. This is also why we fans sometimes can't understand how hard being a factory rider is. We only see what is shown on Saturday night. We only get to see the "easy" part. But put yourself in Chase's shoe.: Do you think he doesn't want to win? Do you think he doesn't want to have a bike where he isn't switching parts on it all the time? We only see the cool gear and the cool-looking bike. Most fans never see 99% of the other stuff that goes on during the week that can make or break a rider's night. It isn't Tickle's fault for the struggles the team and Chase are having right now. Sometimes a rider can go through a rough portion of his career, and at this time, we are witnessing a rough patch with the number 4. He and the team will be back to winning here soon. Stand by...

Oh, and Chiz is helping, as Chase is back in Florida and Broc is back in California. Broc isn't getting replaced; more like Chiz is based out of Florida near where Chase is practicing/riding, and the team was there for Daytona, so it made sense.

If you want to hear a good interview with Tickle, listen to Vital MX's Lewis Phillips here.

Better Comms? (Michael Rigdon)

Jo Shimoda's hand was broken by a pit board last January, and then last weekend he had his 250 SX East season opener impacted (to put it mildly) due to the confusion with the new "lead-in" light. For the love of Jo and every other competitor, the time is now to move the archaic pit board signaling and confusing/easily missed track lights into the 21st century. I do appreciate the AMA changing the red warning light to yellow, but realistically, riders will continue to miss seeing the lights from time to time. As the saying goes, if you want to know what is going to happen tomorrow, take a look at what happened yesterday.

The easiest and quickest solution for both problems is for riders to utilize ear pods or helmet speakers to receive messages from their mechanics and the AMA.

The good news is that "word on the street" has it that in-helmet communication was already under discussion prior to the Arlington incidents, though I'm not privy to the details. In my opinion, communications from race officials to the racers is a no-brainer. For mechanic to racer communication, a good starting point is to limit it to the mechanics' area and not course-wide. The last thing I want to see is rider communication used for blocking or some other team orders.

If NASCAR, F1, and Indy drivers can communicate with their pits while going 200 MPH, SMX competitors should be able to receive messages while blasting past the mechanics' area in third gear, or short verbal heads-up messages in addition to the track lights to warn riders of what's ahead.

Regarding outdoors, both MX Sports and Infront Moto Racing have been testing MyLaps' Race Control caution light system for the last couple of years. Race Control utilizes a transponder just like MyLaps does for scoring and timing to automatically trigger lights in the event of a crash or engine stoppage. By using the technology available today, I hope flagging incidents will soon become a thing of the past, and riders will no longer risk hitting those pit boards.

Accordingly, I sincerely hope both the AMA and FIM will implement rider communications ASAP, and in the near future, the Race Control caution light system is utilized in our sport's most important events.

Arlington SX Stats (Mitch Kendra)

Some stats from the Arlington SX...

The Lawrence brothers become second set of brothers to win a premier class SX race after just the Stewart brothers.

Hunter Lawrence's first wins in Texas:
250SX in 2021 at AT&T Stadium 
450SX in 2026: AT&T Stadium
450SMX Playoffs in 2024 at Texas Motor Speedway

Star Yamaha has won all 7 250SX races so far this season:
Round 1 (West): Max Anstie
Rounds 2 through 6 (West): Haiden Deegan
Round 7 (East): Pierce Brown

Stats on Bennick...

Double First-Time Winner Recall (Mitch Kendra)

The last time we saw two first-time winners on the same night was the 2022 San Diego SX.

It was the first:
250SX win for Michael Mosiman (GasGas)
450SX win for Chase Sexton (Honda)

Oddly, that was the Military Appreciation round that year, just as Saturday was the '26 Military Appreciation round...

This Week's Win Ads (DC)

We clipped these from the weekly issue of CycleNews.com:

A Weekend at MotoRama (Ryder Yeckley)

This past weekend, while most were watching Round 7 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championships in Arlington, TX., I was at the 48th running of the Motorama Races and Shows. For those who don’t know, this event takes place in the capital of the Keystone state, Harrisburg, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex.  Known as the East Coast’s largest indoor motorsports event, MotoRama once again transformed over a million square feet into what can only be described as a great time for motorsports enthusiasts.

The event, originally founded in 1978 by Armin Hostetter, has grown from a simple indoor motorcycle race into a multi-discipline showcase. Arenacross headlined the weekend inside the New Holland Arena, with the track having a technical layout featuring tough corners, rhythm sections, and whoops that tested everyone from young Stacyc riders all the way to 'All-Star' racers. With 26 different classes competing, the variety of skill levels made for some great entertainment for the fans. Beyond the arenacross racing, fans were able to spectate go-kart and quarter midget racing, RC off-road and oval competition, Robot Conflict battles, and a massive car, truck, and bike show.

Simply put, MotoRama is a winter staple for motorsports fans here on the East Coast. Keep an eye out in the upcoming issue of Racer X Magazine, where I go into more depth on the weekend I had at MotoRama.

Hey, Watch It!

Trey Canard's POV at Arlington SX

And watch Trey Canard's latest YouTube video, where he covers the non-penalty situations from the Arlington Supercross:

Jeffrey Herlings hangs out and ride with former MXGP star Tommy Searle:

Kawelo Huddy Wins Brutal Ultimate Hawaiian Hard Enduro For Third Year

Our globetrotting friend Dean Wilson checks in from Belfast, Northern Ireland on the Dean Choob:

Great title on Cooper Webb's video from Arlington: Does Hunter Lawrence Owe Me Rent?

Check out some excellent drone work by Ian Howes as he follows Ricky Russell at the Bostwick Creek MX round one of J-Day Off-Road

Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week 

"Man who lived rent-free in New York Hotel, then claimed to own it, pleads guilty to fraud charge"—AP

"5-year-old aviation enthusiast spots discrepancy in Southwest Airlines training manual"—WLBT

"Man accidentally gains control of 7,000 robot vacuums"—Popsci

"Some people tape their mouths shut at night. Doctors wish they wouldn’t"—AP News

“Florida farmers hire helicopters to keep crops warm”—BBC News

"Naked Man Takes Stolen Ambulance On A 40-Minute Joyride Through Wisconsin With A Patient In The Back"—Outkick

“T. Rex Ran on Its Tiptoes ‘Like an 8-Ton Chicken’”—New York Times

"Martini in student's lunchbox prompts Georgia police to warn parents: 'That is NOT Apple Juice'"—NBC News

Random Notes

The Western PAMX family lost a dear friend this week when Jerry Lantzer passed away after a long illness. He was the father of Aaron Lantzer, a promising young rider who tragically passed away in an automobile accident back in 2001. Jerry and his wife Arlene had come to know the local motocross over the years that Aaron competed, and they remained staples at the local events, camping at the tracks and shooting photographs of their friends and fellow moto enthusiasts. Even as his health issues grew more challenging, Jerry and Arlene continued coming out to the races to visit with friends and honor their beloved son while cruising around in their golf cart. The entire family made a profound impact on our local racing community, and like #98 Aaron Lantzer, his father Jerry will be dearly missed and long remembered.

 Godspeed, Jerry.